International Linkage and China`s Environmental Policies

Abstract

This paper discusses two topics. First, how should we evaluate the impact of international linkages on China`s environmental policies? Second, how can international linkages best influence China`s environmental policies? Regarding the first, this paper begins by reflecting on the contending interpretations of the effectiveness of the impact of international linkages on China`s environmental policies. The paper then raises the concept of "soft epistemic learning" and suggests that the concept can best characterize this impact. Regarding the second topic, this paper has two arguments. First, this paper argues that international linkages can better influence China`s domestic rather than international environmental policies. The second argument is that international linkages can better influence the results of environmental protection and policy implementation in China at the subnational rather than national level.